Dartmouth and Haiti Come Together for Memorable Event

HANOVER, N.H. — When the Dartmouth men's soccer team and the Haitian
National Team met on Burnham Field last Friday night, it was much more than a
game.

The game was part of a five-day tour for the Haitians, who
played games against Dartmouth and Harvard to raise money for Partners in
Health's earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.

On a chilly spring evening, more than 2000 fans filled the
Burnham Field stands and showed a great camaraderie, cheering for scoring
opportunities, goals and great defensive plays by both teams. Haiti, nicknamed
Les Grenadiers, won the game 2-1, though Dartmouth struck first in the match
when Stoian Nedelchev (Solfia, Bulgaria) scored off a cross from Colin Skelly
(Wrightstown, Pa.) just five minutes in. A penalty kick midway through the
second half ultimately proved the winner for Haiti, however.

Admission was free but fans were encouraged to make
donations and our community responded by raising more than $5,200 that will go
directly to helping Haiti's continued reconstruction.

Though the Haitians prevailed on the pitch, the game showed
the true generosity of the Upper Valley community and the ability of sport to
transcend geography, economics and cultures an ocean apart.